Page 42 of Secret Stalker

“And if she’s lying?”

“Then maybe whoever hired the gang to hold up the grocery store hired her, too. What did we find on Caldwell senior? Do we have anything at all to link him to any of this? His belief that Bex killed his son is no secret. And he certainly has the funds to hire anyone he wants to do just about anything.”

Colby dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Donna’s been following that angle and so far she’s got nothing. Obviously he’s too sick right now to have gone to Knoxville. And we can’t get a look at his finances to look for payments to any thugs without a warrant. Trust me. Donna tried. But the judge turned her down, said he needs something more than conjecture.”

“Did she interview him?”

“Officially, no. He’s refusing to talk to us. But she caught up to him outside the hospital before one of his chemo treatments. She barraged him with questions as his son, Deacon, pushed his father into the hospital. Didn’t do any good and his lawyer called the chief later threatening a lawsuit for harassment if we pulled something like that again.”

Max shook his head. “Other than what I got from Lenny Stinsky, we’ve got nothing from the shooters, either. None of them are talking. I’ll give it to Caldwell senior, or whoever is behind this, they picked the right thugs to hire. Or maybe threatened them with some dire consequence if they talked.”

He tapped his right hand on his thigh, thinking it through. “Lenny and the other one who was shot are still in the hospital. Maybe we can play them against each other, even with their lawyers present, and get one of them to take a deal.”

“I thought Lenny Stinsky didn’t know the name of the guy who hired them. That only leaves the Chucky guy. And he’s a hard-core criminal. I don’t see us getting him to go for a deal.”

“He’s facing hard time for the grocery store holdup.”

Colby shrugged. “You can try to talk to him. I certainly didn’t have any luck.”

“Maybe I’ll head over there in a little bit.” Max tapped his thigh again. “Even if he doesn’t have a name, he’s got to have a better description, maybe even of the make and model of the car. If we can narrow it down, get the specific date when it happened, too, we might generate a viable lead on who was in that car that night.”

“Like I said, I already tried. But hey, maybe after stewing in the hospital for a few days he’s softened up. Or getting worried about heading to jail when he gets discharged. Caldwell seems like the logical money man. Maybe one of his security guys is the man who drove to Knoxville. I can work up a list of everyone who works for him and—”

“Already did.”

They both turned to see Donna standing a few feet away. The chief was still on the far side of the room, talking to Blake this time.

“Did what?” Colby asked.

“Got a list of everyone working for Caldwell. I’ve even spoken to a few of them. But they all, of course, insist they haven’t been to Knoxville. And ever since I tried to talk to their boss at the hospital, I’m persona non grata at the Caldwell estate. I haven’t given up. But I’m spending most of my time on the computer looking into everyone instead of interviewing them. Slow going.”

“Let’s assume Caldwell is the money guy and one of his security guys hired the thugs,” Colby said. “Why now? If his goal was to get Bex to confess to murdering his son, why wait ten years to go after her?”

“Cancer,” Max answered. “He’s going through chemo. And he sure didn’t look well when I saw him at his lawyer’s office. Maybe he decided he’s got nothing to lose by breaking the law and going after Bex. Maybe getting her to confess to murdering his son and going to prison is his last dying wish. Who else has a motive to want her to confess?”

“Marcia Knolls,” Donna and Colby both said at the same time.

Max slowly nodded. “She’s got motive. She loved Bobby and has always blamed Bex for his death. But the same question goes for her. Why wait ten years?”

Donna frowned and looked deep in thought.

Colby shrugged. “Beats me. Unless seeing Bex in town was enough to make Marcia go ballistic, like she did when she shot that rifle. Her family has a big farm outside of town. They aren’t exactly hurting financially. Maybe she’s got a piece of that pie and decided to use it to hire those wackos to scare Bex into confessing.”

“Okay,” Max said. “Robert Caldwell Senior and Marcia Knolls are still suspects. And we still have nothing concrete to charge either one.”

Colby and Donna exchanged a frustrated look.

“There’s something else bothering me about this whole thing,” Max continued. “If the goal is to get Bex to confess, why make such a public thing out of it? Those thugs could have kidnapped Bex at her mom’s house at any time since she got here. She doesn’t have any neighbors close by. It would have been easy. So why wait until she’s in the grocery store to go after her? Either of you have a theory on that?”

“Not me,” Donna said. “And the chief’s waving me over again. Probably to fuss at me for pushing so hard on the Caldwells again.” She rolled her eyes and headed toward the other side of the room.

“I don’t have a theory either,” Colby said.

“I might,” Max said. “But it’s a bit out there. I was hoping you had something better.”

“Well, I don’t so you might as well share. Who knows? Maybe you’re onto something. Spill.”

Blake, who’d just sat down at his desk two rows over, must have heard their conversation, because he suddenly rolled his chair over in front of Colby’s desk and crossed his arms, daring either of them to tell him to go away.

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